Primary pulmonary hypertension: pathologist as patient

We describe the case of Julia Polak, an internationally known pathologist with an interest in primary pulmonary hypertension, a condition which she was subsequently diagnosed to have. This was successfully treated by heart/lung transplantation and she was then in the unique position to study and present her own pulmonary pathology. Professor Polak's case illustrates the difficulty in diagnosis, the frequent failure of medical treatment and an excellent outcome from heart/lung transplantation. Based on a presentation to a clinico-pathological conference at Hammersmith Hospital.